User Support: How to Assess Its Effectiveness

Did you know? The average number of applications a desk worker, also referred to as a "knowledge worker," uses is 11, compared to six applications in 2019.

(Source: Gartner Survey, 2023)

Whether you have set up an ERP, HRIS, CRM, e-procurement platform, or digital workplace, user support plays a vital role in effective implementation. But how do you know if your user support is really working?

Measuring support effectiveness requires the right methodology, the right indicators, and the right tools. Here is everything you need to know.

5 steps to measure the effectiveness of your user support

Before evaluating your user support, you need a clear approach to measurement. The five steps below provide a practical framework to guide your assessment from start to finish.

1. Define your indicators

Start by identifying the key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter most to your organization. With so much data available, the goal is to focus on the metrics that are genuinely relevant, not to measure everything at once.

When choosing your KPIs, consider the types of applications you support, the maturity of your current support setup, and the resources you have available. Aligning your indicators with your specific context ensures they are both meaningful and actionable.

2. Set up the necessary reporting tools

Once you know what to measure, assess whether your current tools can actually capture that data. If they cannot, this is a good moment to optimize or replace them.

Be pragmatic: avoid investing in sophisticated reporting infrastructure if your team lacks the resources or expertise to use it effectively. Choose tools that match your organization's current capabilities and goals.

3. Collect the data

Have you selected your KPI indicators and configured your tools? Then it is time to collect the data you need. Treat this data as a genuine asset: the insights it provides are what will drive real improvements to your user support.

4. Take stock

Once you have gathered your data, dig into what it is telling you. Use the following questions to structure your analysis:

1. What does the data reveal about the current state of your user support?
2. What insights can you draw about the results and effectiveness of your support efforts?
3. What are the key strengths you can build on?
4. What are the primary areas for improvement that need immediate attention?
5. What are the secondary areas that are important but less urgent?

Answering these questions gives you a clear picture of where your support stands and where to focus next.

5. Iterate and optimize

Measuring support effectiveness is not a one-time exercise. Establish a regular review schedule so you can track progress over time and continuously improve. The goal is straightforward: build a user support function that keeps getting more efficient and delivers a better experience with every iteration.

For a deeper look at how this fits into broader IT performance measurement, see our guide on measuring IT strategy performance.

User support: which indicators should you choose?

Selecting the right indicators is essential for an accurate assessment. While quantitative metrics provide hard numbers, qualitative feedback from users is equally valuable. A balanced combination of both gives you the most complete picture.

Quantitative indicators

These metrics provide measurable, trackable data on how your support function is performing:

• Number of support requests
• Response time to support requests
• Average request processing time
• Costs associated with producing and updating documentation
• User satisfaction scores

Qualitative indicators

These indicators reveal the deeper impact of your support on the user experience:

• Improved software usability and feature adoption
• Enhanced data quality in software usage
• User autonomy and proficiency with applications
• Overall quality of the user experience

Adapt this list to your specific challenges, applications, and available resources. With a solid measurement approach in place, you are ready to take the next step toward sustainable optimization using embedded application support. You can also explore IT support levels explained to better understand where different types of user support fit within your overall support structure.